Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXIII, Issue 1
Written by Andra DEGAN, Dragoș BÎRȚOIU, Alexandru ȘONEA, Ruxandra COSTEA
During the gestation period, canine females go through physiological changes which can influence the way the anesthetics are absorbed, metabolized and excreted. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetics of the drugs vary from mother to newborn. The drugs administered will pass through the placental barrier and carry across from dam to fetuses. For this reason, choosing the right anesthetic protocol for cesarean section can represent a challenge for a doctor, who has to keep in mind the well-being of both the dam and the fetuses. While choosing the anesthetic protocol to be used, the anesthetist will have to consider all of the above criteria, seeking to minimize the cardiological, vascular and neurological depression of the fetuses. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different anesthetic protocols which can be used, and to assess the benefits, as well of the disadvantages that each of the available medications and methods can present. The options of anesthetic procedures being considered during the caesarean section in canines are represented by general anesthesia or local anesthesia combined with general anesthesia. Of equal importance are the preoperative assessment and the potential recovery time of the mother, which can influence the immediate maternal care given to the newborns.
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